Twisted
by Fledgeling
Summary: Tori has a plan to start taking down the Edison Group, but will Chloe and Derek trust her? Is the safe house really safe? Takes place after "The Awakening"
1. Chapter 1 Arguments

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Darkest Powers series. Some other obvious facts: the world is round, grass is green, and birds have wings.** ** Fascinating, right?**

**Twisted**

Two weeks. It had been over two weeks since we'd arrived at the safe-house, and what had we accomplished? Nothing. Well, not _exactly _nothing- Derek had completed his Change, Tori had mastered some extremely complex spells, and I'd made progress creating mental blocks to prevent my accidental summoning. But we still didn't have a plan for breaking into the Edison Group headquarters to free Rae and find out what happened to Aunt Lauren and Kit Bae, Derek and Simon's dad. Andrew and the other members of the Anti-Edison Group just sat around arguing, and they definitely didn't welcome input from a bunch of teenaged mutants. We might be at the safe-house, but we were still a long way from being safe.

I was sitting in the back-yard, hoping that the sunshine would improve these negative thoughts. I stared at the words in the book I was supposedly reading without really seeing them, too busy worrying about my dad to focus. We weren't really close- he was usually away working, and besides that, I think it's painful for him to be around me because it reminds him of how different everything was before my mom died. Still, I know that he loves me, and he must be so frightened for his 15 year-old runaway, schizophrenic daughter... not that I'm actually schizophrenic, but when faced with the choice of believing that I'm either mentally ill or a necromancer capable of seeing, speaking to and even raising the dead, which one do you think most people pick?There must be some way I could contact my father to let him know I was okay without revealing anything about the Edison Group or the location of our little band of rebels- _C'mon, Chloe, think!_

I was distracted from my brooding by the sound of yelling coming from inside the house, followed closely by the slam of the patio door. Great... it must be time for Tori's daily tantrum. Sure enough, when I looked up I saw a red- faced Tori standing on the deck. She glanced my way and stomped over toward me.

"Hi, Tori, what's up? I've just been out here reading," I said, plastering a smile on my face, hoping that if she thought I was happy to see her she'd decide to go away and annoy someone else.

"Do you usually read up-side down?" she asked sarcastically.

I sighed, closing the book as Tori thumped down on the grass next to me. "So... are you going to tell me what all of the fighting was about?"

Tori gave me a dark look, but to my surprise, she actually answered. "The other sorcerers don't want Andrew giving me lessons in spell casting anymore- they said that he's betraying some sort of sorcerer code by teaching a witch their magic."

Huh. Simon had told me back at Lyle House that sorcerers and witches generally hated each other, and everything I'd seen at the safe-house definitely confirmed that. Their feud seemed completely ridiculous to those of us who couldn't use magic; I mean, apart from the fact that witches were female and sorcerers were male, I didn't see any difference between the two groups, and told Tori so.

"I know, right? But to them, it's 'witch spells are for witches, and sorcerer spells are for sorcerers.'"

"Umm, is there any difference? You know, between witch magic and sorcerer magic?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"They say there is- witches are supposed to be better at casting their own spells than at sorcerer spells. So I should be much better at binding spells, which are witch magic, than at the sorcerers' knock-back spells. Except that I'm not- I'm equally amazing at both, and that's really pissing off the sorcerers. They've spent centuries believing that witches are stupid, weak and cowardly. I'm proof that we aren't," Tori replied arrogantly.

"But I still don't get it. Why don't you just focus on learning witch magic for now, and stop all of the arguments? I mean, there's got to be a lot to learn, plus you can always get Andrew or someone else to teach you sorcery later, after we get out of here."

Tori stared at me in disbelief. "You CANNOT be asking me that. You've met the other witches, Chloe... even _you_ must have noticed that they're useless. They just sit around drinking tea and gossiping and glaring at everyone- I think the only reason that they're part of this group is so they can spy on the sorcerers. Well, that, and to keep lecturing me about the dangers of magic every five seconds. They don't _know_ any defensive spells. Witches who want to learn serious magic get kicked out of the Coven. That's what happened to my mom."

I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me. "Your mom was thrown out of the witches' group because she wanted to learn tougher spells?"

"Partly... but I think it was mostly because they realized that Mom's an evil bitch. But she _is_ really powerful- she and some of other witches who didn't accept the Coven's ideas started exploring the dark arts- and don't ask me what those are, because I don't know, and no one will tell me. But I think it's bad, Chloe, and I mean really bad," Tori shivered.

I believed her. I'd met Diane Enright, and she was definitely your stereotypical wicked witch. I wasn't sure what to say, though-I mean, she was Tori's mom, and I knew that in spite of everything she'd done, Tori probably still loved her.

Tori must have decided that she'd revealed too much personal information, as she quickly looked away, and when she started talking again she'd regained her usual over-confidence. "Anyway, they're all idiots, everyone in Andrew's dumb group. Haven't you noticed that all they ever do is fight with each other? And the fights aren't even about issues or ideas- it's just stupid prejudices. I'm sick of it."

"I wouldn't call them idiots, but I understand what you're saying. It's like the witches and sorcerers have to disagree with each other just because of what they are. Nobody listens to the necromancers or shamans because they're supposed to be weirdoes and flaky, New-Age hippies. And the half-demons think that they're better than everyone else so they don't bother paying attention to what the others have to say," I sighed.

"Exactly!" Tori said. "They refuse to get along, so I don't see them coming up with a plan anytime soon. Plus, I don't trust these people. Most of them are former Edison Group employees- how do we know that they've really changed sides?"

I felt the awful sinking feeling in my stomach returning- I get it whenever I'm really upset, and needless to say, I've been getting it a lot lately.

"W-w-we just have to trust them," I said shakily, desperately wishing that Derek was back from his run already.

Tori glared at me. "Seriously, Chloe, grow up. After everything we've been through, you're willing to blindly trust a bunch of strangers to take care of us and do the right thing just because they're _adults_? God! Do you still believe in the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, too?"

Exasperated, I threw my hands in the air. "What do you want, Tori? Do you want me to tell you that you're right, or that you've at least got a good point? Okay, fine- but what now? The Edison Group's still after us! What are we supposed to do? I mean, it's not like YOU have a plan, do you?"

Instead of getting angry, Tori smiled. "Actually, Chloe, I do. And it's a good one."

**Don't you want to know what it is? If you do, keep reading!  
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	2. Chapter 2 Tori's Plan

I stared at her in disbelief, but as I struggled to come up with a reply, a large shadow fell across us and a deep voice asked, "Yeah? Are you going to tell us about it or just sit there smirking all day?"

Tori's smile only widened. "Of course I'll tell you and Chloe all about it, Derek," she said sweetly, "just as soon as you've showered- I can smell your nasty, sweaty, wet-dog stink from here."

Derek ignored her, and took a seat on the grass a few feet away from Tori and me. "Fine, I'm down-wind so you won't be bothered by my stench. Get on with it."

Tori's eyes narrowed, but she apparently decided that what she had to say was more important than sniping at Derek. "Fine. Whatever." Tori waved her hand dismissively.

She straightened her shoulders, looked at Derek and me gravely, and began speaking in slowly in a low, serious voice. "I'll start off by reviewing what we know. The Edison Group is evil-"

Derek interrupted with a snort, but Tori simply tossed her head and continued, "According to what Chloe found in Dr. Davidoff's office, they did genetic experiments on 25 kids; five kids from each of the major supernatural groups. That's five sorcerers, five witches, five necromancers, five half-demons, and five werewolves. So, what happened to these children? First, we've got the 'successes': the ones who got that reduced unpleasant side-effects thing that our parents wanted us to have, but whose powers also ended up getting reduced. They're basically supernatural duds, like Simon, and they're too weak to pose a threat to the Edison Group. There are what, nine of these, Chloe?" Tori asked.

"I think so," I replied, not seeing where she was heading with this.

Tori continued, "Okay, so we have Simon, plus eight others who probably don't have to worry about being tracked down and killed by mad scientists. That still leaves 16.

Next we've got the experiment's 'failures'- those of us who ended up with uncontrollable and enhanced powers. We're all in serious danger, and some of us have already been murdered. So, among the living, there are the three of us, plus Rae."

"And Peter, from Lyle House," I added. "But according to the list, he's supposed to be rehabilitated... believing that he's got a mental-illness and taking drugs to keep him powerless. The same with another girl named Mina, or Mila."

Derek frowned. "Peter's only 12, and he's already ended up in Lyle House because he was too out of control- whatever he is, he's got to be really, really powerful. None of us were showing signs that young."

Tori and I both nodded. "Okay, so Peter and this other girl are out there, probably not knowing what they are, and having no idea about the Edison Group or how much danger they're in. We've got to find them, and the others. By my count, we've got six living 'failures' that we know of, plus three dead ones- Amber, Brady, and Liz. So, 9 failures, and 9 successes- that only makes 18. There are seven more unaccounted for."

"No, just four," Derek said quietly.

My stomach dropped again as I realized his meaning. "What? Derek, are you saying that the other werewolf boys, the ones you lived with at the lab, they're... dead?" I asked, as Tori glanced back and forth between Derek and me in confusion.

"Pretty sure," Derek replied as he absent-mindedly shredded the grass beside him. "There was this... incident. They did something; hurt someone. I tried to stop them and I got help, but..." he shrugged, "after that the three other pups disappeared, and there was just me."

"Wait... what? You grew up in the Edison lab, with other baby werewolves? And they called you _pups_?" Tori asked, astonished.

" Tori- not now. I'll explain later," I whispered, then in my normal voice asked Derek how old he'd been when this happened.

He shrugged. "Five or six, I think. I went to live with Dad and Simon soon after that- I think the Edison Group decided it wasn't worth the expense of keep the lab running with only one werewolf left."

"Derek! You're saying the Edison Group murdered FIVE YEAR-OLDS?"

He finally looked up and met my eyes. "Yeah. They did."

Even Tori looked appalled. I didn't know what to say, or to think... I hadn't really dealt with the fact that the Edison Group- the people my aunt Lauren worked for- had murdered teenagers. I mean, I knew that they did; Liz and Brady had been proof of that. But part of me still believed that it wasn't possible that people I'd met, people who'd seemed so normal, were killers. The bad guys in movies always _looked_ bad, acted bad; I guess that's why everyone's so blind to the ones in real life. The importance of what had happened finally sunk in. This wasn't a movie, and we were fighting for our lives. _And_, I thought with a sinking feeling, _if the demi-demon had been right about the werewolf pups, did that mean she was right about everything else?_

I took one of the deep, calming my drama teacher always talked about then said, "Okay. So we've got four kids with unknown power levels, but we don't know who, or where, they are. And we've got two others- Peter and Mina/Mila- that definitely got the power upgrades and therefore are probably in danger, but we don't know how to find them. How is this helpful?"

Tori looked at us smugly. "Well, Peter's easy; we could just look up 'Ricci' in the Buffalo phone book and call all the numbers until we find him. But there's a much better way... a way we could get ALL the info on the mutant kids: what type of supernatural they are, their names, their addresses. What we do is hack into the Edison Group's website and copy all the files we find."

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**Oooh, things are starting to get interesting! Hope you liked it... if you did, the next chapter should be up Friday. Please review! **

And just in case anyone's as neurotic as I am and noticed that only four werewolves are mentioned in the story (Derek + 3 dead pups). I checked with Kelley's website and her amazing, free online Derek story, _Dangerous_, and yes, there were only four werewolves in the lab. That's because the fifth werewolf kid is the experimental control- the one who would be raised by his werewolf dad, always knowing what he was. I left it out since I thought getting into experimental design would just be waaaay too confusing... my head is hurting just explaining this. **  
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	3. Chapter 3 Preparation

**A/N: Sorry that this is late, but I was sick last week with a horrible case of food poisoning sand didn't really feel up to writing (it's my dad's fault for thinking that only wimps pay attention to the best-before/expiry dates on food. He has issues). So I'm giving you _two_ chapters to make up for it- enjoy!**

I stared at Tori, momentarily stunned. No one would ever guess by looking at her that Tori was a major computer geek – she definitely belonged at the popular kids' table with the jocks and the other mean girls - but she was a technological genius. She'd fixed the ancient PC that had been gathering dust at the safe house so that it ran almost as fast as my MacBook at home. Word about Tori's miraculous repair skills started to get around and now whenever there was a group meeting at the safe house everyone came with broken laptops in tow. Tori was more than happy to help with computer problems- for a fee, that is. You never got something for nothing from that girl... so what was it that Tori wanted now?

Apparently, Derek was thinking the same thing. "What's in it for you?" he asked suspiciously.

Tori smiled and gave him her best wide-eyed, innocent look. "I just want to help! There are supernatural children in danger; not to mention your dad and Chloe's aunt. I know you don't like me, Derek, but I'm not completely heartless."

Realizing that we weren't buying her martyr act, she switched gears. "Okay, fine, that's not the main reason. I need to get out of here so I can go back to my real life with my friends, and my room, and my clothes... I even miss school! But none of us can leave until we're no longer in danger from the Edison Group. So call me selfish, but I think it's time we started taking them down."

"You're sure you can do this – hack into their files without alerting the Edison Group that their online security was breached?" Derek said sternly. "Because if they find out, they'll investigate... they might even be able to track down our location. You know that, right?"

Tori glared at him. "I know how serious this is- they killed my _best friend_, remember? I've thought through all of the safety issues, and I'm sure I can do this. But I could use some help... Chloe, do you remember Dr. Davidoff's password? I don't absolutely need it, but it would make things easier. And Derek, there will probably be a lot of science stuff in the files. It would be great if you could read them and let us know if there is any important information. So are you in or not?"

I was certain that Tori wasn't telling the truth about her motives for hacking into the network, but I knew that despite her recklessness she'd never risk her own safety. It was a good idea, but I was hesitant about agreeing to a plan that relied so much on Tori's expertise. I looked at Derek, waiting for his reply. I knew that he'd definitely have a tough time handing over so much control given that he usually called the shots. and it didn't help that he couldn't stand Tori. Still, I knew that Derek wouldn't allow emotions to cloud his judgement- if this was the best thing for us, he'd put his personal feelings aside and do it. I could almost see the wheels turning in his head as he analysed all of the pros and cons of Tori's plan. After a lot of frowning and muttering, Derek finally agreed. "But I'm holding you responsible, Tori, if anything goes wrong," he warned.

Tori rolled her eyes. "Yet somehow I doubt I'll get all the credit when everything goes perfectly. I assume that you're in, too, Chloe, seeing as you and Wolf-Boy are practically joined at the hip these days?"

I looked down and tried to hide my red face behind a curtain of hair. Annoyed and embarrassed by Tori's insinuation, I told her that I'd help, but only because no one had come up with a better plan. I'd hoped my less-than-enthusiastic response would make her lose the arrogant tone of voice, but she didn't seem to notice my irritation.

"I think that the sooner we do this, the better- that way, there's less chance of anyone finding out and either stopping us or betraying our plans to the Edison Group if it turns out there _are_ spies among Andrew's friends," Tori said. Derek looked surprised that she'd given so much thought to this, and nodded cautiously in agreement.

Encouraged, she continued, "Tonight would be great. Andrew and Simon will be off at that stupid sorcerers' party, so we're going to be babysat by Frank and Norah. Norah's a decent witch, but she wouldn't notice if the whole house burned down around her, and Frank will be glued to the sports channel... it'll be the perfect time for a little illegal activity."

Much as I hated to admit it, Tori was right. To his immense displeasure, Simon was being forced to go to a dinner party this evening to meet some of the teenage sons and nephews of the group's sorcerers. Andrew worried that Simon was getting an inferiority complex because he lacked the extraordinary abilities that Derek, Tori and I possessed, and thought Simon would benefit from meeting other supernatural kids with normal power levels . Simon, on the other hand, kept making gloomy jokes about having to spend an evening playing "Dungeons and Dragons"- when he wasn't annoying Andrew by asking questions about which knife one used for the ritual sacrifice portion of the meal, and whether the Sorting Hat would put him in Slytherin or Gryffindor, that is.

As for Norah and Frank... well, I doubted either of them had been Andrew's first choice to watch us. Norah was about 80 and alternated between calling me "Rosie" and ruining my self-esteem by mistaking me for Simon, who is not only male, but also half-Korean and a good five inches taller than I am. Frank O'Casey was from a famous necromancer family, but he was best known for his belief that the Yankees' management paid to have poltergeists interfere in Major League Baseball games (particularly when they played against Frank's favourite team, the Red Sox). If there was a ballgame on tonight he'd be too busy screaming at the TV and watching for ghosts to pay any attention to us at all.

Derek must have come to the same conclusion since he got up and turned towards the house. "Fine, we'll meet up about an hour after dinner. I'm going in for my shower now; you two stay here and iron out the details. Chloe will fill me in later on anything important."

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed! So, do you want your bonus chapter? It's kinda short, but it's called "Feelings"... wonder what it could be about?**


	4. Chapter 4 Feelings

He turned and left without waiting for a reply from either of us- giving orders, after all, was classic Derek behaviour, but I found myself fuming over his lack of consideration. I knew that he was generally condescending, bossy, and incredibly rude, but I expected more from him because I'd seen the _real _Derek- the one who was thoughtful, loyal, and kind. I didn't understand why he couldn't be that Derek all the time. It was so _frustrating_- whenever we started to get close, he'd pull away; and whenever I was ready to write him off completely, he'd do or say something so incredibly sweet that I'd get sucked right back in. Why did boys have to be so confusing?

"... stopped using that two-in-one. Hello, Earth to Chloe! Are you even listening?" Tori said with irritation while snapping her fingers in my face.

"Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking. What were you saying, again?" I asked sheepishly.

"Uh-huh. Like I can't guess what you were thinking about... or should I say, who?" Tori smirked at me.

Another blush- why couldn't I have been born with olive skin like hers so that my emotions wouldn't be so painfully easy to read? "I-I-I have no idea what you're talking about," I said with as much dignity as I could muster.

Tori looked amused, which is always a bit frightening. "I'm talking about Derek, your almost-boyfriend, of course. The person you spend all of your time with, who makes you blush whenever he looks at you, or whenever somebody mentions his name? And he's always trying to watch over you and protect you- he keeps that pervy-looking sorcerer from sitting anywhere near you at meetings, and he always makes certain that you're served at dinner before he takes anything to eat. The two of you are so cute, in an immature, socially-challenged sort of way... or you would be, if it was anyone other than Derek."

This wasn't happening. After everything I'd been through, from being falsely diagnosed with schizophrenia when I'd started seeing ghosts, and finding out I was a necromancer who could accidentally create zombies, to being pursued by a group of murderous mad scientists who'd altered my DNA before my birth with my parents' and aunt Lauren's permission; discussing my feelings for Derek with Tori was the still the cruellest, most horrible thing I could imagine.

Misinterpreting my mortified expression, she continued, "Don't get me wrong- when he's around you, he's much less of a jerk than he really is, and between his finally being able to get enough exercise, being under less stress now that we're away from Lyle House, and having finished Changing, his acne and B.O. have really improved. And since I gave him that lecture on why people who have naturally oily hair should never, ever use a two-in-one and bought him that clarifying shampoo, it looks like I can tell Greenpeace we don't need them to clean up the oil slick on top of his head after all. In a few months, we might be able to upgrade him from complete troll to almost-human."

"Tori," I managed to grind out, "we're not going to sit here and talk about boys. And we're definitely not going to discuss Derek and me. N-n- not that there's anything to discuss, or that I w-want there to be anything to discuss." I glared at her as she laughed. "Our lives are in danger, remember? The last thing that any of us need is to be distracted by dating."

Tori gave me one of her lazy, superior smiles. "Right. Keep telling yourself that. You're not attracted to Derek, and even if you were- which apparently, you're not- you're both far too responsible to allow your feelings for each other to interfere with our mission. I'm so glad I not as noble as you two are, or I'd never have any fun."

She looked at her watch then got up and dusted off the back of her shorts. "I'm going in to set stuff up and get ready for tonight- I'll let you know if I need anything. If not, I'll see you after dinner when we get to commit a few cybercrimes." She gave me an evil grin as I waved her off and opened my book to try actually reading it this time.

Part way to the house, Tori, turned around and said "Oh, and Chloe? A piece of advice- if you wait until everything's perfect to start a relationship, you might end up waiting forever." With that, Tori went inside and left me alone to sort out my thoughts.

**Is it cruel to stop here and make you wait for the next chapter? Don't worry, I'm working on it-things start to get really interesting in Chapter Five! Oh, and I absolutely love reviews... they make me write faster, too (hint, hint).  
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	5. Chapter 5 Breaking and Entering

**You reviewed, and as promised, here's your new chapter! Oh, and I apologize in advance for any mistakes in the story regarding computer terms/processes- unlike Tori, I'm technologically impaired.**

By unspoken agreement, Derek, Tori and I avoided each other until after Andrew and Simon left. We were all anxious, making dinner with our "babysitters" a painful experience. Frank was already parked in front of the TV, and Norah's awkward attempts at small talk were met with silence. When it was finally time for Tori's online breaking and entering, I'd convinced myself that this was a horrible idea. I was too worried to pay attention to where I was going and collided with a very large, solid object in front of the study door. A pair of strong arms wrapped around me to stop my fall, and I was flooded with warmth coming from both the body holding me and my reddening cheeks. _Derek_. Why did I always have to make such a fool of myself in front of him?

"Whoa, you okay?" he said as he steadied and quickly- too quickly- released me. He opened the door and stood next to it, waiting for me to pass through before entering himself. I shook my head in a vain attempt to focus, and horribly embarrassed, I mumbled my thanks. I humiliated myself even further by bumping into the door frame as I walked inside, but Derek tactfully said nothing as he followed behind me.

"Finally! I figured little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes had chickened out," Tori called from behind the computer. I had to choke down a giggle when she wheeled her chair around to face us: she was dressed in black from head to toe, and her eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Either she'd assumed from watching "The Matrix" that this was how hackers dressed, or else she was paying tribute to heist movies with her 'cat-burglar chic' look. I'd heard of method acting, but this seemed a little much, even for a drama-queen like Tori.

I guess I wasn't the only one unimpressed by Tori's wardrobe choices. "Are you ready, or do we have to wait for the "Mission: Impossible" theme song to start playing?" Derek asked sarcastically.

"Whatever. Just trying to dress for the occasion- this is a big deal, you know," Tori said with a dismissive wave, although she did shove her sunglasses onto the top of her head. I shivered- her eyes were positively gleaming with manic excitement, and I glanced at Derek for reassurance.

He got my message. "Yeah, Tori, this IS a big deal, but you're acting like a kid on Christmas morning. Knock it off or I'll call Andrew's cell and tell him everything."

"No one ever lets me have any fun! Fine, Derek, I'll be as boring and serious as you are," Tori said with an eye roll. "We haven't got all night, so I'll get started, but remember: what I'm doing stays between the three of us. It's, um, kind of illegal. So we'll tell Simon that we _somehow_ got into the Edison Group's files, but we don't need to go into the specifics of how that happened. Same goes for Andrew and anyone else if we decide to share some of the information we get with them, okay?"

We agreed to her conditions and stepped back to let Tori concentrate. The next fifteen minutes were among the longest of my life as I tried in vain to stop my stomach from churning and watched as Derek alternated between nervously pacing the length of the room and looking over Tori's shoulder until she threatened him with a binding spell if he didn't stop annoying her. At last, the clicking from the keyboard stopped and Tori calmly announced, "I'm in."

We rushed over and stared at the screen in astonishment. _She did it,_ I thought dizzily, _Tori really broke into the Edison Group's computer system!_

"Good job," Derek grunted, "but it's not over yet. We have to-"

"Copy the files and get out as soon as possible, because every second that goes by increases our chances of getting caught. Yeah, yeah, yeah- I know, Derek," Tori said distractedly as she rapidly selected files and saved them to her USB drive.

"Look! 'Genesis II'- that's about us," I told her excitedly, while Derek scanned the screen and pointed out anything that might be related to employee lists, building plans, and security measures.

"Great- got them. Thanks, guys. Now can you give me Dr. D's password, Chloe?" Tori asked.

"It's Rae's mom's name, Jacinda," I told her, then spelled it out as she entered it at the prompt.

"Why would Dr. Davidoff use Rae's mom's name as his password?" Derek wondered with a frown.

"Maybe he was in love with her, or maybe it's also the name of his first pet- who cares? I'm almost done," Tori said as she opened his personal files and copied anything that looked useful before suddenly stopping and staring at the screen.

"Tori?" I asked worriedly, "Are you okay?" When she didn't reply, I saw that she'd just opened a list of the witch subjects from the Genesis II experiment. The name Victoria Enright was highlighted and the words 'sorcerer/witch parentage' were written beside it. _Damn, damn, damn! _The demi-demon was right again.

"She's not on here," Tori said in a monotone.

"W-w-who isn't, Tori?" I asked, genuinely confused.

"Serena. My _sister_," Tori sneered as the desk began to vibrate. "I guess Mom must have decided her firstborn was such a failure that she wouldn't allow her second child to be experimented on. She always was Mom's favourite ... Serena the perfect, helpless, little blonde cheerleader. I bet she's been training baby sis as a witch this whole time- the two of them probably thought it was hilarious that I was stuck in Lyle House, taking meds for imaginary mental problems because I was too stupid to realize that I was a witch!" She laughed hysterically, and the desk shook even harder, sending everything on its surface flying.

Derek gave me a startled glance and mouthed _"Do something!"_

"Tori! I know you're upset, but you can't think about it now. You need to calm down- look at what you're doing to the desk," I told her. She glanced down with a panicked expression; she hadn't realized what was happening. "It's okay- this happens to all three of us. Our powers explode when we're too emotional. Take some deep breaths. You can do this, Tori, I know you can," I said soothingly.

Tori held my gaze and clutched the hand I offered her so hard I knew that her nails would leave red grooves on my skin. She took deep breaths as I murmured encouragement, and a few minutes later the violent shaking slowed as the desk came to a halt.

"See, Tori? You've got more control over your powers than you think. Are you ready to get us out of here?" I asked, gesturing toward the computer.

She nodded, squaring her shoulders as she went back to work. Over her head, Derek gave me an admiring smile, and blushing I returned his grin.

"There, I'm out," Tori said, slumping dejectedly in her chair. Before unplugging her USB key, she said, "I'm going upstairs- I'll be in my room until Andrew and Simon get back." She looked so sad and tired that if she'd been anyone else, I'd rush over to give her a hug; but after Tori's earlier display of vulnerability I knew that she'd treat me to one of her trademark stinging retorts if I tried.

As she headed for the study door, but Derek put his arm out to stop her. "I just wanted to say thanks. That was pretty amazing," he admitted grudgingly.

Tori tossed her head. "You mean that _I_ was pretty amazing. It's true, I am, and you're welcome, Derek. I almost feel bad for making that comment yesterday about the Edison Group getting your DNA from Neanderthal bones... well, no, I don't," she said as she sauntered out of the room, smirking. Yep, the old Tori was back.

**Hope you liked it! And in case you were wondering, yes, the next chapter definitely has much more Derek and Chloe time in it... I listen, and I'm working on it!**


	6. Chapter 6 Simon the Sytherin?

**A/N: You thought that I was never going to update this, didn't you? Sorry for the wait, but for most of the last two weeks I was too sick to move, let alone write... sinus infection + bronchitis = such a waste of a summer vacation.**

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The rest of the evening was uneventful. Tori needed some time to herself so I left her alone in the bedroom we shared, and since Derek had taken off on another run, I ended up having to spend quality time with Frank and Norah. I'd never really understood the expression "bored to tears" before, but after two hours of listening to Frank rant about how his famous cousin Jaime was a disgrace to necromancy while Norah snored open-mouthed on the sofa, I was ready to start sobbing. Fortunately, that's when I heard the distant crunch of gravel in the driveway that signalled Andrew and Simon's return. I ran to the front door to greet them, and my relief must have shown as Andrew blinked at me in surprise then shook his head in amusement.

"That bad, huh? Was he going on about poltergeists in baseball again?" Andrew asked in an undertone as he waved to Frank.

"Actually, it was Jaime Vegas," I whispered back with a grin as Andrew grimaced in sympathy- Frank's obsessions were well known. My attention shifted as Simon walked inside and gave me a small, forced smile that didn't reach his eyes. His shoulders were slumped, and the dreaded tie was crumpled in one of his pockets. Clearly the party hadn't gone well.

"Hey, Chloe, where are Derek and Tori?" Simon asked absently as he scanned the room. I was saved from answering as Derek pushed through the door from the kitchen, balancing a large plate of leftovers in one hand. Seeing that Simon and Andrew had returned unharmed, Derek ignored them both, grabbed an armchair, and began eating. I rolled my eyes at yet another display of Derek's lack of common courtesy. I was almost convinced that he was deliberately rude to people just to annoy me. Pointedly turning my back on him, I politely thanked Frank and Norah for watching us as they grabbed their coats and practically ran to their cars.

Simon snickered as we watched our former babysitters break the speed limit in their eagerness to get away from the safe-house."That's exactly how I feel after spending a few hours with Tori," he said.

"Actually, they ran away as soon as you arrived, Simon- they probably couldn't stand listening to your stupid 'Look at me! I'm a jock _and_ an artist- I'm so deep and sensitive!' act," Tori replied mockingly as she swept down the staircase.

"Simon, Victoria, it's late- could you please save the insults until morning, or do I need to put binding spells on you both again?" Andrew said, looking exhausted.

"Don't worry, Andrew, I'll be civil. Besides, you know that binding spells are witch magic and that I can wiggle out of yours in seconds. Speaking of powerless spell-casters," Tori continued, "Simon, how was your little sorcerers' party? Did Voldemort show up to give lessons?"

"Nah, he couldn't make it- apparently, plotting global domination doesn't leave a guy with much free time. He did send a note, though, to say how sorry he was to miss the after-dinner bonfire. It was great- we made this witch dummy, tied it to a stake, and set it on fire so we could roast marshmallows over it. We named the the dummy 'Tori' in your honour after I told the guys how much you wanted to be at the party... so in a way, you were!" Simon said innocently while Tori shrieked with outrage.

"Simon!" Andrew barked angrily.

"What are you yelling at me for? I can't help that Tori's just a witch. It's not my fault that she's jealous of us because despite all of her power, she's still stuck with stupid little witch spells while we sorcerers get the real magic," Simon said rudely as he glared at both Andrew and Tori.

I held my breath, knowing that Simon had crossed a line by making such hurtful comments, and I worried what Tori would do to retaliate. I looked over at Derek for help, but he was focused on his plate, continuing to eat steadily and seeming uninterested in anything besides filling his stomach.

Instead of sending objects flying in Simon's direction as I'd expected, Tori tossed her head and gazed at him coolly. "For your information, Simon, I'm not 'just a witch.' I'm not even just a mutant, super-powered witch. I'm much more special than that: I'm a hybrid," Tori said with an eerie calm that sent shivers along my spine. "My mother's a witch, and my father's a sorcerer."

As Simon stared at her in confusion, my eyes were drawn to Andrew, whose face had turned a chalky, grayish-white at Tori's announcement. Derek must have noticed, too, since he'd abandoned his snack and was studying Andrew carefully.

"You're even dumber than I thought, Tori, 'cause that's impossible," Simon scoffed. "Everyone knows that since witches can only have daughters and sorcerers can only have sons, there's _no way_ that they could have children together."

"Then you've never heard about Savannah Levine?" Tori said, sneering. As she walked towards him, she continued, "Her father was from one of the greatest sorcerer families, the Nasts, and our moms were best friends as young witches. Savannah's incredibly powerful and she's not afraid of anyone; everyone's scared of what her and what she could do. And guess what? I heard Andrew's friends say that I'm just like Savannah once when they thought I wasn't listening." Now standing only inches away from Simon's face, Tori said softly, "So I'd watch out, Simon, if I were you, because you really don't want to know what happens when I get angry."

"VICTORIA!" Andrew roared, startling all of us. "That's enough! Go to your room. Simon, you're to stay down here, away from Tori, for the next hour, after which you will go directly to your own room and to bed. I don't want to see or hear from either of you again until morning. Is that clear?" he said, looking furious, as Tori and Simon nodded meekly.

I'd never seen Andrew angry before- annoyed, definitely, but never angry- and it was frightening. _He_ was frightening. This wasn't the good-natured, somewhat awkward 'Uncle Andrew' we were used to... this Andrew looked cruel, sinister, like he was capable of anything-

_Great, Chloe, why don't you let your imagination totally run away with you? _I thought. _And besides, you should be able to come up with something more creative than a version of the old horror movie cliché where the serial killer turns out to be the friendly neighbour._

While I was over-reacting, Tori fled to her room and Simon stomped off to sulk in the den. Andrew sighed and apologized to Derek and me for their bad behaviour and for losing his temper, before heading upstairs to get some rest. After he left, I started to ask Derek what he'd thought of the fighting, but he held up a hand to shush me and silently started walking up the staircase, listening intently to something only he could hear.

Shrugging, I decided to find Simon. It wasn't hard; he was sitting on the couch, idly flipping through the channels on the TV. As he made room for me to sit down, I asked if there was anything he wanted to talk about.

"You're definitely too nice, Chloe: what you should have said was, 'Simon, what the hell's wrong with you?'" he replied, putting down the remote.

"Was the party really that terrible?"

"No, it was fine. Well, actually it was long and boring, as expected, and the other guys kept annoying me by asking really stupid questions about werewolves. I wished that Derek was there so he could jump out of a closet growling to scare the crap out of them." Seeing my frown, Simon said, "Hey, they deserved it! You didn't hear them, Chloe- they think Derek's some kind of dumb animal; well, a vicious, man-eating dumb animal, to be exact. But those morons weren't what really set me off, though."

"Then why did you decide to provoke Tori into starting World War Three?" I asked curiously. While he and Tori bickered constantly, it wasn't like Simon to attack her so personally.

Simon sighed and leaned further into the sofa. "It was Andrew. The way he was introducing me to people and talking about me at the party... he was acting like I was his son, and it pissed me off. Then on the drive back, he kept going on about where we would live when this was over, and what he and I would do together- it's like he's convinced that Dad's never coming back."

"Oh, Simon, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way-" I started, but he cut me off, his voice hardening.

"No, Chloe, that's exactly what he meant. Andrew's trying to prepare me for when we get the news that Dad's dead, and I don't want to hear it. I _know_ that he's alive- I'd feel it, somehow, if he wasn't. We need to rescue him, not sit around here doing nothing and waiting for the Edison Group to forget we exist."

"I know," I said soothingly, feeling guilty that we'd broken into the Edison Group's files without him and knowing that Simon would be upset when he realized that he'd missed out on yet another adventure. Still, I figured that I'd leave it to Derek to handle the explanations as Simon was his brother, after all.

"My hour's almost up- I don't think Andrew will mind if I go to my room now as long as I avoid running into Tori," Simon said as he got up. "Thanks for listening, Chloe."

"Anytime. But Simon, you should really think about what you're going to say to her tomorrow to apologize. I know Tori can be awful sometimes, but she's dealing with a lot right now, too."

"Yeah, I know, and don't worry-I'll tell her tomorrow that I didn't mean what I said. Or at least, not all of it," he added, as we walked upstairs together. I shook my head in exasperation before saying good-night to him in the hallway, then tip-toed into the dark bedroom. Tori was under the covers, pretending to be asleep, so I headed to my bed on the other side of the room and glanced at the alarm clock. It would be at least an hour, I calculated, before everyone else fell asleep and I could slip downstairs to meet Derek.

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**WARNING: As promised, Chloe and Derek fluff ahead! Proceed to Chapter 7 with caution.**


	7. Chapter 7 Alone At Last

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Opening the bedroom door slowly, I stepped into the hallway to listen. Hearing nothing, I carefully shut the door and made my way down the staircase, stopping when I reached the landing to say one word, "_Derek_," before making my way to the kitchen. I switched on the light over the stove, poured myself a glass of water, and sat down at the breakfast bar to wait. It wasn't long before Derek poked his head cautiously through the doorway, his eyes scanning the room for signs of potential danger.

I smiled to myself at his predictability. That was Derek: always the protector, alert and ready to deal with anything from crazed scientists to zombies and everything in between. If we were in a movie (and it often felt as if we were), Derek's character would definitely be the hero. I doubted that he'd ever see himself that way, though; in Derek's opinion he was just doing what obviously needed to be done, and what was so special about that?

He must have interpreted my grin as a sign that we weren't facing some sort of imminent supernatural threat. He pulled up a chair next to mine, and I watched as the tension drained from his body.

"You called?" Derek said, turning to face me while brushing his hair back from his face. It was badly in need of cutting, as his hair had gotten so long in front that it constantly fell over his eyes, obscuring them. It was a shame, really, since his eyes were so beautiful; you'd expect someone with his colouring to have brown eyes, but Derek's were a startling, bright emerald green. They were definitely his best feature, unless you counted his body, and he usually kept _that_ well hidden, too...

"Chloe? Are you listening?" Derek asked, looking concerned. No wonder- my previous thoughts had set my cheeks on fire, and I was pretty sure that I had an idiotic grin stretching across my face. _Wonderful, Chloe, why don't you try harder to embarrass yourself? You might still have a shred of dignity left to lose,_ I thought to myself with disgust.

"I-I-I'm okay, Derek. It's just been a long day," I blathered.

His worried expression eased slightly. "Yeah, and you must be exhausted. Why don't you get some sleep and we'll talk tomorrow?"

"No! We have to talk now!" I yelped. Sensing Derek's alarm, I tried to explain, "It's just that I never get you alone." I blushed furiously as I realized what I'd just said (so much for that remaining shred of dignity), and Derek had gone from looking alarmed to looking slightly panicked. "I just meant that Simon's always around, or else Andrew's popping up to give us a supernatural history lesson, or insist on having a board-game marathon, or something."

Derek sighed in agreement. "Privacy _is_ almost impossible here, and Andrew's camp counsellor routine has been really getting on my nerves... I swear, Chloe, if he turns up with glitter and poster paint for us to make macaroni art, I'm locking him in the shed until he regains his sanity."

"Speaking of the insane, what are we going to do about Simon and Tori?" I asked.

"About their arguing, you mean? I wasn't planning on doing anything about it," Derek said, shrugging. "They'll work it out themselves. Simon went too far, and he probably regretted what he'd said as soon as it came out of his mouth. So he'll apologize- he's gotten really good at talking himself out of trouble, since he gets into it so often- and Tori will sulk for a few days to get attention. After that, everything will go back to normal."

"Don't you think that's a little optimistic, especially since they always fight whenever either of them is upset? You know that Simon's going to be angry when he finds out that we helped Tori break into the Edison Group's files without him. And I think she might be getting a few more unpleasant shocks from those files," I replied with a shiver.

Derek's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "It sounds like you know something about Tori that you haven't told me. Is that why you called me down here in the middle of the night?"

"Okay, yes, it is," I said cautiously. "Something happened when I was being held by the Edison Group that I didn't mention earlier because I knew it would upset you. So before I tell you about it, I want you to promise that you won't yell at me."

After some muttering, Derek nodded in agreement and listened as I told him about the demi-demon. When I finished talking, I waited for Derek's usual lecture on how I'm always getting myself into danger; but to my surprise he remained silent, absently tracing the wood grain in the countertop with his finger.

At long last, Derek looked up at me and sighed. "I wish you'd told me this before, but I understand why you didn't. I was a jerk for losing my temper with you back at Lyle House and when we were on the run. I'm sorry for treating you that way, Chloe- you didn't deserve it, and I promised myself that I'd never do it again. I don't want you to be afraid to talk to me, Chloe." Derek hesitated then added softly, "I don't want you to be afraid of me."

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**So what do you think? Hopefully I've made up for being a very bad author and abandoning you for so long, but if not, I will say that I've almost finished Chapter 8 and it does indeed have more C & D fluff. Oh, and I'd like to give a huge thank-you to everyone who has added this story to their alerts/favourites, and especially to everyone who reviewed!  
**


	8. Chapter 8 Hot and Bothered

"Of course I'm not afraid of you!" I exclaimed, relieved by his reaction to my secret and more than a little touched by his apology. "I just wanted to avoid upsetting you, or getting another lecture- I mean, between Andrew and Frank, I've have more than enough of those."

Derek cleared his throat and abruptly brought the conversation back to the demi-demon. "You handled that well," he admitted. "I don't know much about them, but letting one out is probably a really bad idea. I think it told you the truth about everything else, though. It wanted to get you to trust it, so it told you secrets about your friends that you could easy verify, hoping that you'd come running back to it for more."

"The demon has been right about everything so far," I said. "I guess that means that the man Tori grew up believing was her dad isn't her biological father."

Derek nodded. "The file said that her father's a sorcerer, and from what I've seen and heard of Tori's mom, she'd never have married a man she couldn't easily control. My guess is the Edison Group used DNA from one of the sorcerers in the experiment to create Tori.... and probably did so without her biological father's consent. That means Tori might have a father and a half-brother out there who have no idea that she exists."

"If any of that is true, Tori will be devastated. She adores her father, and she's already so emotionally unstable that I don't even want to think about what she'll do when she finds out," I said.

"You're not the only one; Andrew's worried, too. I'm certain that he knows who Tori's biological father is- you saw how he freaked out when Tori announced that her dad's a sorcerer, right? When I followed him upstairs afterwards, I overheard him on the phone arranging to have sedatives and anti-anxiety drugs delivered to dull her powers."

I stared at him in horror. I'd never really liked Andrew because of the way he treated Derek, but I hadn't thought that he was capable of something so awful. Tori'd had enough drugs and betrayals to last her a lifetime, and I knew that no matter how strong or uncontrollable her powers were, Andrew's violation Tori's trust would create far more damage than she could ever accomplish. "D-d-d-do y-you think Andrew's still working for the Edison Group?" I asked in confusion.

"No, I'm fairly sure he isn't, but what I have been wondering about is _why_ he stopped working for them in the first place. Did he find out something so horrible that he couldn't work there anymore, or was he fired because he was no longer needed? Either way, the story he told us about why he and my dad stopped talking is definitely a lie. I mean, Andrew says it was because he wanted Dad to get more involved in bringing down the Edison Group but that doesn't sound like a reason someone would to stop calling or visiting his best friend for years, does it?" Derek said.

No, it doesn't, I realized. "So you think your dad found out about something Andrew was doing, or had done while he was working for the Edison Group... something that made your dad so upset that he didn't want anything to do with Andrew anymore," I said slowly. "In other words, we can't trust him."

"More like we should keep a close eye on Andrew," Derek said, shrugging, "And I've got a few things packed and ready in case we ever need to make a quick escape." I should have known that Derek had a backup plan; actually, he probably had several backup plans for his backup plan. Shaking my head, I looked over to tease him about being so thorough, and noticed that Derek wasn't well. He was pale and clammy, and his eyes glittered feverishly. I quickly placed the back of my hand on his forehead to check for fever.

"Derek, you're hot!" I exclaimed, as I withdrew my hand.

"And to think I'd almost given up hope that a girl would ever say those words," Derek said, looking highly amused. "I guess that positive-thinking stuff isn't a total crock, after all."

I felt my face turn bright red and stammered "I-I d-d-didn't m-mean it like that."

"The fever's a sign that I'll need to Change soon; tomorrow, probably. And don't worry, Chloe; a girl in my Chem class once told me that I was 'a total hottie.' It happened right after she and her friends used a Bunsen burner to light the back of my lab coat on fire. It's so unfair, being a werewolf- if I was a stupid vampire, I bet girls would be lined up around the block, begging me for dates," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, no one's ever told me that I'm hot, either, or asked me on a date," I heard someone say, then clasped both hands over my mouth as I realized that it had been me. _  
_

"You're kidding," Derek said flatly, staring at me in disbelief. Mortified though I was, there was something so vulnerable in his eyes that I decided to embarrass myself further.

"Oh, it's true, alright. When this guy in my class heard that I had a crush on him, he was so horrified that he never spoke to me again," I admitted, hiding behind my curtain of hair. While I hadn't really liked the boy in question, his reaction had still hurt.

"Idiot," Derek said loudly. I looked up at him, startled, as he gruffly clarified, "I meant him. Not you. _He_'s an idiot."

I continued to stare- was Derek blushing?

Flustered, and refusing to meet my eyes, Derek continued, "You're kind, and loyal, and brave, and just because a guy hasn't asked you out doesn't mean that guys don't like you. Asking girls out is scary, especially if you can't tell whether she feels the same way about you as you feel about her." Derek suddenly stopped talking and looked wildly around the room, as if he was hoping to find a giant hole in the floor that would open up and swallow him.

"H-h-have you ever asked a girl on a date?" I asked, staring at my lap. I told myself that I was only asking the question out of curiosity, despite the fact that the way my heart was pounding against my ribcage said otherwise.

"No. We moved around so much, I never had time to really get to know anyone before we had to pack up and move again. I'm not exactly the most approachable guy in the world, and I didn't see the point in trying to make friends when I knew we'd have to leave in a few months," he answered.

I could feel him looking at me, but I kept my head down and fiddled with the ends of the drawstring on my pyjama bottoms. I swallowed the giant lump in my throat and said, "That sounds like you. You should try to open up more and let people get to know you, though, because you make a really great friend."

"Thanks," Derek said slowly, "You might be right. I've been thinking lately that after all of this is over- and if the Edison Group doesn't murder me, or lock me up as a science experiment again- maybe I should try the whole dating thing. What do you think, Chloe?"

Derek was thinking about dating? But not until this mess was over with the Edison Group. Huh. It must be because he'd Changed, I decided. Derek's appearance had been rapidly improving ever since he'd left Lyle House, and Andrew figured that Derek's hormones must have levelled out after he'd accomplished a complete transformation. Now that he didn't have to worry about his acne, greasy hair, and body odour problems, it shouldn't be surprising that Derek was thinking about dating.

_He probably already has someone in mind,_ I thought, fuming, _Some stupid girl from one of his old schools who'd never looked at him twice when he was less attractive_. _She wouldn't be able to understand how amazing Derek was because he'd never be able to tell her about his past, or about how hard he had to work as a werewolf to seem normal. I bet she was incredibly smart; taking lots of advanced classes, and working on some project to stop global warming or cure AIDS. She probably liked stupid art-house movies, and was tall, and never got handed the 'Age Twelve and Under' menu at restaurants._ _I really, really, really hated her._

I noticed that Derek was still waiting for an answer, and manage to grind out, "Great idea. I'm sure you'll be very happy together. Look at the time! I should get going."

"Wait, what? I'll be happy with who? Chloe, is something wrong?" Derek asked, looking confused.

I fell off my chair in my rush to escape but refused Derek's offer of help, insisting that I was perfectly fine.

"You don't seem fine. Actually, you're acting really weird- did I say something that upset you?" Derek said, studying me carefully.

"No! No, Derek, I'm just tired," I replied, without looking at him. "I-I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

I raced out of the kitchen before he could say anything else. Later, in my room, as I buried my face into the pillow and tried to forget everything that happened earlier, I heard the sound of Derek's soft footsteps as he walked down the hallway, and something else... was Derek _singing?_ I lifted my head to listen, convinced my exhausted brain was playing tricks on me, but strangely enough, Derek was warbling happily to himself. I sunk back into the bed, closed my eyes, and desperately hoped that sleep would come before this day got any weirder.

**Hope you liked it, and please review!**


	9. Chapter 9 Girl Talk

Chapter 9- Girl Talk

I tossed and turned most of the night before falling into a deep sleep. I don't remember my dreams, but they must have been pleasant ones as I woke up feeling happy- a feeling that soon vanished as I remembered everything that had happened yesterday. I briefly considered hiding under the covers until all of the drama in the house was resolved, but as that seemed unlikely to happen any time soon, I dragged myself out of bed and into the bathroom to shower. When I returned to our room to dress, I noticed that Tori had already left, which was odd since she normally slept until noon. Shrugging, I pulled on my clothes and decided to do something different with my hair and French-braid it instead of simply parting it in the middle or pulling it into a messy bun like I usually did.

_Just for a change_, I thought to myself as I carefully separated and wove the damp strands together, _not because I want to avoid going downstairs for as long as possible_. Sure, it would be awkward and potentially humiliating to see Derek again after the conversation we'd had last night, but it needed to be done... right after I finished cleaning our room, of course. I tied an elastic band around the end of the braid, looked in the mirror to double check my handiwork, and started tidying the bedroom.

"Hey, what are you still doing in here?"

I dropped the comforter I was holding and spun around to find Tori watching me curiously from the doorway. Without waiting for a response, she sauntered in and threw herself carelessly on top of the bed I'd just made.

"I'm not doing anything, really; I just thought I'd clean up in here before breakfast," I replied.

"Why would you want to do that?" Tori asked, sounding surprised. "You're not sick or something, are you? You'd better not be sick. If you are, you'll need to find a new place to sleep- there's no way I'm going to die of swine 'flu or whatever just because you couldn't keep your germs to yourself," she said, pulling out a bottle of nail polish from her nightstand.

I sighed. I might have been the one who'd grown up with a maid, but Tori acted as though all chores were beneath her. Annoyed, I watched as she proceeded to paint her toenails bright pink while still seated on the bed, and asked her if there wasn't somewhere else where she could do that- like outside, where it wouldn't matter if she dripped polish over everything.

"Oh, please, Chloe- have you seen this blanket? It's so old and ugly that a few pink splotches would be an improvement," she said dismissively as she continued her pedicure.

She had a point. I ignored her as I finished making my bed and started putting the dirty clothes Tori'd piled all over the floor into the hamper. It took less time than I'd thought, and now there was nothing left to do, no reason not to go downstairs for breakfast. No reason at all, except that I was a horrible coward. It didn't matter that I knew I couldn't avoid seeing Derek for long in a house this small; or that I also knew that the longer I went without seeing him the more awkward our eventual meeting would be. I was horribly embarrassed, and I wasn't ready to face him yet.

As if reading my mind, Tori said suddenly, "Derek isn't downstairs, you know."

"Oh? Where is he then?" I inquired, trying to sound casual.

Tori shushed me and concentrated on applying the last few strokes of polish to her baby toe before replying, "He and his idiot brother ate earlier, so now they're outside in the woods, hauling logs to make a pen for Derek to Change in. Apparently it's supposed to have some sort of psychological effect on Derek, reminding him to stay put and not chase cars or whatever it is dogs do besides smelling people's butts, since there's no way they can make something by tonight that's high enough to keep a wolf from jumping out of it. Personally, I think it's just pointless busy-work that Andrew and Derek came up with so that Si- sorry, I mean the moron I'm not talking to and whose name shall not be spoken in my presence- feels less useless and left out. I think they need to stop babying him, 'cause he _is_ totally useless and unimportant, and the sooner he gets over himself, the better."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing at the irony of her last statement- if anybody needed to get over themselves, it was Tori. She must have sensed my amusement, though, as her eyes narrowed slightly and she gave me an evil grin.

"Anyway, I just thought I'd let you know in case you were trying to hide from Derek after what happened between the two of you last night," Tori said maliciously.

"W-w-wait, what?" I asked, staring at her in shock.

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, right, you think I don't know about you and Wolf-Man sneaking off together in the middle of the night? I'm not stupid, Chloe, and I'm not deaf, either. For someone so tiny, it's hard to believe how much noise you make when you walk. I swear, sometimes I think that Derek's not the only shape-shifter in the house, and that you're really a tap-dancing elephant disguised as a human."

My mind whirled as I tried to process what she'd said. "You've been spying on us?" I said shrilly. How long had this been going on? And more importantly- _what had Tori heard?_

"I know it's wrong, but you two are so fascinating that I just can't help myself!" she replied sarcastically, "God, Chloe, get real. Seeing as all of your hot dates seem to involve either somebody turning into a monster or somebody raising one, I can't think of anything I'd rather watch less... well, other than you and Frankenstein finally making out. Ewwww, I feel nauseous just thinking about it!" She wrinkled her nose in disgust and shivered dramatically.

"So, if you weren't spying then what... how-" I trailed off, desperately trying to think of what to say.

Fortunately, Tori decided to put me out of my misery. "I haven't been sleeping very well. The bed's lumpy, the sheets feel like sandpaper, this room still smells like old people, and there creepy animal noises outside that keep me awake. So I was still up last night when you took off downstairs, and a few minutes later, I heard someone from the boys' room do the same thing. I couldn't have cared less who you were meeting, or what you were doing. Well, not _then_- I have to admit, I was definitely curious as to why you came back so upset that you tossed and turned all night, and yet Prince Not-So-Charming was in such a good mood. Seriously, Chloe, he was _singing_. Derek doesn't sing... and he shouldn't, either, because five more seconds of his tuneless howling and my eardrums would have started bleeding."

"I thought I'd dreamed that bit," I said, surprised. Although I knew that I'd probably regret encouraging her, I couldn't help asking Tori if she remembered what song it was.

"I don't know. I was in too much shock at the unnaturalness of Derek's tone-deaf warbling to pay attention to the lyrics," Tori said impatiently. "Come on, Chloe, spill- what happened? You know that if you don't tell me, I'll jump to my own conclusions." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at me and grinned.

"Nothing happened," I replied defensively. Hoping to distract her, I continued, "Derek and I were just trying to figure out how to deal with all of the fighting between you and Simon. Honestly, Tori, it's gotten completely out of hand."

Clearly, guilt didn't work on Tori, as I should have known. "The fighting's not my fault- I was the victim last night, remember? And didn't I tell you never to talk to me again about that pathetic excuse for a supernatural? Besides, there's no way that you'd get so worked up over that, and it definitely doesn't explain Derek's personality transplant."

I couldn't tell her the truth, partly because confiding embarrassing secrets to Tori would be asking for a lifetime of humiliation, and partly because I honestly didn't know the answer. Sighing, I told her, "It was nothing, Tori. After breaking into the files, finding out about your sister, and then your epic fight with Si- sorry, _You Know Who_- I was exhausted. I freaked out at something stupid, something Derek said that wouldn't have bothered me if I hadn't been so on edge. And you know Derek- he usually has no idea when he's been rude or condescending, so I doubt he noticed that I was upset. Really, Tori, that's it."

She glared at me. "Fine, don't tell me. But I know that something's up between you and Crater Face, and I'm literally the only person you can confide in. You'd better hope that I'm still interested when you change your mind and come running to me for advice."

Tori got up and flounced over to the dresser. She examined her reflection critically in the mirror, and changing the subject entirely, asked me if she looked pale. Actually, she looked terrible: apart from the paleness, she had dark circles under her eyes, and there was something about her posture that showed how tired and miserable she was. I hesitated, not sure whether to insist she looked fine or to tell her the truth, and Tori read my silence correctly as confirmation.

"Good," she said, sounding strangely satisfied. "Can you mention that to Andrew? He's already feeling guilty about losing his temper last night, and he feels bad about what the world's worst sorcerer said to me last night. So I'm thinking that with a little extra push, Andrew might suggest a shopping trip to make me feel better."

"Tori!"

"What? I'm not doing anything wrong- my feelings were hurt, and I'm still really upset. If Andrew wants to help me feel better, I see no reason why I shouldn't let him buy me some new clothes. And maybe a laptop..."

With that, Tori skipped out of the room, leaving me on my own. Much as I hated to admit it, she did have a point- there wasn't anyone I could talk to about Derek. I sighed, wishing that I could talk to Kari or Beth, my best friends from home, or maybe Liz... Liz! That was it! I hadn't seen her or tried contacting her since she'd told me she wanted to visit her family, but that had been over two weeks ago- it wouldn't be wrong to summon her now, would it? Just to make sure she was okay.

I sat down on the bed, relaxed my breathing, and concentrated on Liz. Nothing happened. Confused, I toyed with my pendant as I considered what to do next, then noticed that the stone was glowing slightly. Strange- had it ever done that before? Maybe it did have some sort of power after all. Holding the necklace in front of me, I tried to focus all of my energy and channel it through the gemstone. The glow intensified as the pendant started to vibrate and hum, and the air in front of me shimmered as a blonde-haired figure materialized.

"Liz!" I shouted excitedly.

The figure turned around. It wasn't Liz. Standing in front of me was a man I'd never seen before in my life.

**Oooh, things are getting interesting! Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it- reviews, please! I love reviews, and my reviewers!**


	10. Chapter 10 Family Matters

The ghost and I stared at each other in shock. Upon closer examination, I realized that he was younger than I'd initially thought; more a teenager than a man, and probably not much older than I was. While I was certain that we'd never met before, he seemed familiar somehow- I had the strangest feeling that I _knew_ him, despite the fact that this was obviously impossible. Then again, magic crystal pendants and visitations from 'The Great Beyond' weren't exactly within the realm of normality, either...

_Well_, I decided, _normal or not, I need to figure out why there's a dead guy standing in my bedroom, and more importantly, how I'm going to get rid of him_. Assuming that manners were still important even after death, I took a deep breath and did my best to look confident as I introduced myself.

"Hi, I'm Chloe Saunders, fledgling necromancer. How can I help you? And, umm, would you mind telling me how you got here?"

The ghost smiled, looking amused. "Hi, Chloe, it's nice to finally meet you. I'd shake your hand, but the whole non-corporeal thing has its downside."

Not knowing what to say to that- I mean, 'I'm sorry you don't have a body anymore, would you like me to put you in your old one? We'd have to find it, first, though, and I doubt it's in the same condition you left it,' probably wouldn't have been appropriate- so I gave him a hesitant smile and waited for him to continue.

He didn't. After a long silence, the ghost finally emerged from his contemplation of the room and realized that I was still here. Laughing awkwardly, he said, "Oh! You're waiting for me to introduce myself. Sorry about that- I mean, I already knew who you were, of course, so I guess I just assumed that you'd know me. It's kind of embarrassing; I haven't had a conversation with a... well, _living_ person in so long that I'm out of practise."

The ghost's expression turned serious and he straightened to look me in the eye. "I'm Ben," he said slowly, watching me expectantly. Clearly he'd thought his name would mean something to me, which it didn't. Had he had been another subject in the Genesis II experiment, or had he died in this house?

Before I could ask, Ben noticed my confusion and added, "Benjamin Fellows. I was Jenny's- your mom's- twin brother. I died, oh, about twelve years before you were born."

_Benjamin Fellows,_ I thought in confusion, _I'm talking to my Uncle Ben._ No wonder he'd thought I'd recognize him_,_ I remembered guiltily. A necromancer himself, Uncle Ben had died when he was 19, but I'd never heard of him until a few weeks ago when Aunt Lauren mentioned him in a letter - probably because no one had wanted to explain that he'd died trying to escape from ghosts. Still, that must be why he'd seemed so familiar, I realized as I sat weakly on the edge of Tori's bed; he looked a lot like my mother. They shared the same thick, sandy blonde hair and big hazel eyes, and Ben had Aunt Lauren's perfectly arched brows and stubborn chin as well. Yes, the ghost was definitely my uncle, but that still didn't explain why he was here.

As if he could read my mind, Uncle Ben said, "You're probably wondering how I got here."

"Something like that," I said with relief. Worried that I might have offended him, I flushed and hastily continued, "N-n-not that I'm not glad to meet you, because I am, it's j-just that-"

"It's not every day that one of your dead relatives shows up unannounced in your bedroom," Ben answered, smiling. "Don't worry, I get it- I was a necromancer, too, you know, which is kind of the reason I'm here."

"I still don't understand," I admitted as Ben sat down on the window seat, facing me.

"Well, it's a long story, but the simplest answer is that you summoned me," he replied. "Yes, Chloe, I know that it's not what you intended- you were trying to contact your friend, Liz, right?"

I nodded, but couldn't help asking curiously, "Do you know Liz?"

Uncle Ben rolled his eyes, "For the record, there are _a lot_ of dead people- we don't all know each other. But as it happens, I have met Liz... it's part of that long story I'm trying to tell you. You know, the one you keep interrupting?"

"Sorry," I said quickly, but Ben didn't seem offended.

"Where was I? Oh, right, you tried to summon your friend the same way that you'd summoned her before, but it didn't work. What you apparently didn't know is that there are spells and wards all around the house to prevent earth-bound spirits or demons from entering it."

"Really? That's possible? " I asked excitedly, forgetting Uncle Ben's request that I not interrupt. "But... if this place IS ghost-proof, how'd you get in?"

He raised his eyebrows. "The wards don't work on me because I'm not bound here: I moved on after I died, although I can come back to this world when necessary." Frowning at my surprise, Uncle Ben said, "Honestly, what kind of Hogwarts is this? I can't believe that you don't recognize standard protection plants when you see them! A strong background in herbology's essential for all supernaturals; as is crystal lore, which you clearly haven't learned, either, or you'd understand just how precious that stone is that you're wearing around your neck."

My face burned with embarrassment, but Ben said quickly, "I'm sorry, Chloe- it's not your fault that you don't know these things. I'm just upset that you haven't had anyone to teach you about your powers. That's not something I'd wish on anyone, especially my own niece." Ben stared into the distance for a few minutes, lost in his memories, then shook his head and turned back to me shyly.

"But you don't have to do this alone anymore. When you were trying to summon your friend, you channelled your energy into your pendant, and that's how you called me. That necklace has special powers, Chloe; it's been handed down from necromancer to necromancer in our family for over two hundred years. It was mine until I died, and later your mother gave it to you. The crystal itself is very rare, and it has also had spells placed over it to enhance the stone's natural properties for contacting the dead and repelling evil spirits. More specifically, when you activate it, it summons your spirit guide to help you- and in your case, that would be yours truly."

I looked down at my pendant, which was still glowing faintly, before glancing back at Uncle Ben.

"So... you're like my guardian angel?" I asked him.

"Yes. No. Sort of. It's complicated," Ben admitted. "I can't really explain about, you know... the spirit world. Sorry, Chloe, but the first rule of the afterlife is you do not talk about the afterlife. It's also the second rule, too," he grinned. _ Great,_ I thought, _I get a wise-cracking guardian angel who quotes 'Fight Club.'_ "Besides," Ben continued, still smiling, "what I am isn't important- all you need to know is that it's my job to help protect you and to teach you to use your gifts."

"So you're saying that as a necromancer, I get to see ghosts- ghosts who expect me to drop everything I'm doing to pass on messages to their friends and families, or to help them 'cross over'- but I'm not allowed to know what happens after death? Doesn't that seem a bit hypocritical?" I said.

Ben cringed slightly, but nodded.

"That's so unfair! Who made up that rule?" I exclaimed, genuinely annoyed.

"Oh no, there's no way that I'm answering your last question- if not talking about the spirt world is a rule, never talking about who's in charge of it is a law. The only law," he laughed. Correctly interpreting my glare, Ben said sympathetically, "I know it sucks. There really aren't many pluses to this necro gig, and I know you didn't ask for it, but I'm afraid you're stuck with it. I will say that what being a necromancer is important- there are a lot of people out there, alive _and_ dead, who need your help. You can use your 'gift' to do a lot of good in this world, Chloe, really make a difference. Unlike me."

Ben's eyes locked with mine. "I wasted my life. I was about your age when I started seeing ghosts, but unlike you, I'd grown up knowing that this was a possibility. One of my great-aunts, Emily, was a necromancer, and she tried to teach me about my abilities but I refused to listen. I didn't want to be a necro: I hated being a 'freak' and thought if I just ignored the ghosts, they'd go away. Of course it didn't work- they tried harder to get my attention, following me everywhere, screaming at me, making it impossible to think let alone to act like a normal teenager... Instead of realizing that I needed to accept my powers, I started using drugs to drown out their voices. It worked at first, but my body adjusted quickly and I needed to take more and more drugs to block the ghosts, and when I did see them I was so messed up that I couldn't handle the experience. I was an addict, Chloe, and totally out of control. My parents didn't know what to do, and I got away with most of my behaviour because they felt guilty that they'd passed this 'disease' onto me. The night I died, the ghost of a cop who'd been killed in the line of duty was following me around, trying to convince me to get treatment for my drug problems, but instead of listening to him I ran away and fell off a building, too wasted to keep my balance. How pathetic is that?" he said with disgust.

My eyes blurred as the tears ran down my face. I knew that Ben's story could easily have been my own, and maybe it would have been if I'd never gone to Lyle House and met other supernatural kids who were facing the same problems. I'd been too busy worrying about our survival to really appreciate the fact that I had friends who knew about my powers and understood what it felt like to wake up one day and realize that everything you'd thought was impossible was real. We might be freaks, but we at least we had each other.

Sniffling, I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, and began telling Uncle Ben about everything that had happened over the last few weeks, while he filled me in on how to alter the wards around the house so that Liz could appear. From there we talked about ourselves and generally tried to get to know each other, although I carefully avoided asking about whether he knew if Aunt Lauren was really dead or if I could contact my mom because I was too afraid of the answers. Ben got really upset when I told him I had no idea what happened to his comic book collection or his mint-condition Star Wars action figures. "Seriously? Do you know how much those are worth?" he groaned, while I tried to fathom that despite being dead for decades, Uncle Ben still cared about his stupid toys. I guess boys are still boys, even after death.

Suddenly, my stomach, which had been protesting its emptiness for awhile, decided it had been ignored for too long and made the loudest growl I'd ever heard.

"I think that's my cue to leave," Ben said. As I started to panic, he grinned. "Hey! You can call me anytime you want, and BAM! I'll be there. Sure, the pendant is a bit more difficult to work than a cell phone, but can a Blackberry give you a direct line to the hereafter? I don't think so."

After another promise to return, he vanished, and I knew that while Uncle Ben might be gone, I was no longer alone.

**  
A/N: What did you think? Was it good? Bad? Meh? I'm hoping to go start updating every Monday/Tuesday, and I'll try to stick to it... best way to encourage me to do so is by reviewing! Oh, and to help you get your DP fix until my next update, I'm the proud Beta for Wind Spark's fabulous Darkest Powers story "The Essence of Normality." If you haven't already read it, check it out!**


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